By Stacey Kimball

OK.  So do I dare ask what the name “Mower” means?
No, don’t dare.
 
How long has the band been around?
Since the dawn of time… or the late nineties…whichever came first.
 
How’d you guys all hook up? 
Chris answered an ad we placed in the local classifieds in San Diego and suggested we bring the singer from his last band [Dominic] in to a practice to see what two singers would be like.  The practice went well and we rolled with it.
 
Is your current line-up the original?
No.  Dom, Chris and myself have been the core of things since we started putting out CDs, but the guitar and drum spots have been tough ones to keep filled.  Keeps it interesting.
 
Is San Diego still home base for you all?
San Diego’s beaches are home. La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, North County.  San Diego is a nice place to come home to after tour.
 
You’ve done shows with Metallica, Slayer, Deftones, Linkin Park, P.O.D., Staind, Disturbed and more.   That’s pretty much any rock musician’s wet dream.  Any other bands you’d like to tour with, a wish list?
Jane’s Addiction, Led Zeppelin, The Who, The Doors, Kiss, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles ~ just to see that go down live would be awesome.  More realistically, I’d say Lamb of God, Hatebreed, Deftones, Ministry, Iron Maiden, Slipknot, Stone Sour. Any great live band with interesting players.  Our last tour with (hed)pe, Authority Zero, The Villebillies and Danny Diablo and CeeKay was the sh*t.  Great show every night and some cool people to party with, that’s the best.

Mower’s been getting some major kudos from the rock, punk, and hardcore worlds ~ quite a coup to appeal to those usually warring factions.  If you had to choose ~ or create ~ a genre name for your sound, what would it be?
I think comedian Dave Attell said it best: “Pizza-Pu*sy-Santa,”because everyone likes one of those.”
 
The band’s been popping up in a whole bunch of different media ~ TV, movies, radio…ever any fear of all this exposure diluting the true essence…the true “Mowerness” of the band?
It’s hard to dilute a band that has so many influences.  Our Not For You CD has about eight different genres working on it.  We were fortunate it blended together the way we had hoped, or it could have sounded like a compilation album.
 
You’ve gotten some play time on some Motorcross stuff ~ does anyone in the band ride?
What’s being done in motocross these days is just suicidal.  It’s exciting to see these guys go for it like they do.  We did a benefit show for an injured rider named James Marshall, and you could tell it was in his blood to ride.  The California desert is close by if we want to ride but as far as massive jumps and backflips, we’ll leave that to the pros, like Manley, Hart, Twitch, Scummy ~ those guys tear it up.
 
Congrats on that No Fear ad in Revolver Magazine ~ very cool!  How did that come about? No Fear has one of their main facilities up the coast from us and they got wind of our band’s live shows and checked us out and thought our energy worked well with the things they’re trying to do as a company.
 
Your latest CD, “Not For You,” is that title aimed at anyone in particular?
That’s for everyone you’re supposed to consider when making a CD ~ the industry or whatever.  We make records we like.
 
So ~ performing live and touring…the best job ever?
Performing live is the best.  Bouncing around in a vehicle on the highways between performing live is not as awesome.
 
Any pre-show rituals (that I can print)?
Jagermeister, Crown Royal and warm ups.
 
What made you sign with Suburban Noize Records?
They appeal to a very energetic type of individual that wants to have a good time.  It’s the same people you see at shows or out surfing, skating or snowboarding.Recording in the studio ~ necessary evil or enjoyable process?
Recording gets better every time.  If you’re prepared to go in to the studio, it’s exciting to hear your music recorded.

For the current and future fans ~ you guys are all attitude on-stage…but really, sweet guys in real life? 
It really depends if there’s alcohol involved. If Jager’s involved, then we are the same on and offstage.  Seriously, you try screaming and jumping and flipping out all day long.  Can you imagine losing it like that trying to order a slice of pizza or buy a bag of chips?  You’re not going to get too far like that.  We know where we can let loose.
 
There’s a rumor that you do have alter-egos and that they’re all in a band called “Slower…”
Slower is Mower, only slower.  We did a lounge cover of one of our songs on Not For You and wound up trying a bunch of stuff that way.  Once we had a full set’s worth we broke out suits and martinis and starting f**king with our audience’s heads.  Those shows are fun, man.  Same lyrics, same sentiment, only all stoney and jazzy.  Like if Frank Sinatra was a Sex Pistol, or something like that.
 
There must have been that one band that gave you your first major break ~ is that something you’d like to be able to do for an up and coming band?
When we put together shows, we try to get exciting new bands on the bill for our fans.  We know it’s difficult to do music and want people that are hardworking to get an audience.  Hed pe, Kottonmouth Kings and Phunk Junkeez all gave us “breaks” early on. We worked hard, appreciated the opportunities andstill do shows and tours with them.
 
We’ve got a lot of readers planning to catch your show at the Palladium ~ what can they expect?
A lot of energy.  The only predictable thing aboutMower shows is that we’re going to go off.
 
Anything else you’d like them to know about the band?
We’ve got time for you.  Hit us up at myspace, say what’s up at the shows.  My own screenname on AOL, MSN and yahoo is mowerbrian, tell me what’s happening out there ~ what clubs are going off, any good new music you’ve heard, we want to hear about it.
 
Time for the quickfire:
 
Who’s the playboy of the group? Chris is the single one right now, so it’s not the feeding frenzy it used to be.
 
Groupies ~ the more the merrier or tone it down, ladies? Anyone who tells you they don’t like groupies is probably a girlfriend.
 
Your tour bus ~ nice and neat or raging hell pit? Beginning of the tour or end of the tour?
 
The one major endorsement you’d love to land? Whole Foods would be awesome.  We’d love to get some decent food everywhere we went, and they give a sh*t about where their products originate.
 
Who’s going to be in Playboy first ~ Britney, Paris, or Lindsay?  Who cares.  Tell us when the Jessica Alba spread comes out!

myspace.com/mower and mowermusic.com
Sept. 30 at The Palladium w/ Twiztid